Although man has been wearing for centuries leather bands to support trousers, the buckle attaching the ends together has been a necessary part of the belt. As a result, throughout the centuries man has attempted to ornament rather than eliminate the buckle. We are all familiar with the high degree of ornamentation or massiveness in size, particularly associated with heavier belts worn in the military, and police organizations. The belt buckle has been considered a necessary evil and despite its extra weight, large polished buckles have been the standard, particularly for police work for many years. Somethings or historically significance are engraved, and other ornamented buckles and likewise have been used for show purposes. These buckles, being unnecessarily heavy and protruding outward, have a tendency to wear clothing or jackets, and in night police work, provide a highly reflective target.
Attempts have been made recently to produce a buckleless belt employing a hook and eye fabric known by the commercial trademark "VELCRO". Such buckleless belts have attained a degree of acceptance but have a major disadvantage in the opening producing a tearing sound which is unpleasant to hear and also lacks the secure feeling of a buckle.
A number of patents show attempts to obtain minimum visible or simplified belt. Representative patents are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,345,750 DeBeaumont; 1,213,650 Hutchinson; 1,600,279 Epstein; 3,438,063 Loston; 2,423,668 Weithorn; 2,641,812 Boudreau.